Living Life on the Horizontal

Ironic, actually, that because I am living life on the horizontal, I was unable to finish posting this blog. I am on bed rest. I am on the couch. On my left side. All day long. My children are cooking, caring for the little ones, and having a blast on the Wii and playing outside in the snow (eldest son made an igloo).

When I am laying down, my blood pressure is okay. When I am sitting or standing it goes up too high. I'm frustrated. I cannot cook, clean, do dishes or laundry. (Funny, how those are all the things I'd normally not love to do - turns out I don't mind them, just on my own time.)

My ob is saying if my blood work is clear (I went out in the snow and got my blood drawn today) I can start taking blood pressure medicine tomorrow. Hopefully that will buy me some time and maybe I can last long enough to go into labor on my own.

What!? Go into labor on my own? No! That is an option I have not even considered with this pregnancy. Well, maybe with the extra chromosome, go into labor early because of that. But honestly?

Why is that such a problem, you ask? Because going into labor on my own has historically meant 41 weeks. I was planning on 37. Today I found out baby weighs over 6 lbs. Thirty seven weeks would have been great. Do the math. Forty one minus 37 equals a whole 'nother month! Ask any pregnant woman who thinks she has 2 weeks left if she wants to go another 6 instead. Ask a kid who is supposed to get out of school on June 1st if he wants to go until the beginning of July. Ask any engaged person if it's okay to postpone their wedding (night) an additional month. Emphatic no.

I KNOW it's better for the baby. I KNOW it will probably make for a more pleasant labor. I KNOW it is the best thing for me, and that I'm doing a crappy job being horizontal anyway, and that's why I have to go on the medicine in the first place.

But I want to meet my Dozer NOW! I want to know who this child is. There are too many options. Is it a boy? Is it a girl? Does the baby have 46 chromosomes? 47? I've been waiting ever so long, and I've been so patient. Sort of.

Right now, my husband and children are watching a movie, something about owls and guardians, and having popcorn and candy night, a family tradition (a night early, yes, plans tomorrow). I'm not with them. Because when I asked my husband, would I like the movie, he said, no, too suspenseful. Too suspenseful!

I d-o n-o-t h-a-n-d-l-e s-u-s-p-e-n-s-e w-e-l-l. Not my best thing.

But I'm here. Laying on the couch, waiting for bedtime, for test results, for medicine that will make it possible for me to wait.